Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-09-06
ADVERIISING7 CRATES.
Prophecy..

The following is copy of the essay
of which we recently made mention,
delivered by Miss Alberta Conklyn,
granddaughter of Mrs. N. B. Conk-
lyn Of, this county,) at the closing ex-
ercises of the Hughes W. woodward High
School, of Cincinnati, Ohio:
One Of the characteristics of the nature of
tho human race Is, TO be continually looking
into the future and trying to tell what Will hap
vided into two superstition, based upon
sigus aud symbols; aud prophecy, based upon
intellect aud science. These signs are very
numerous and have no foundations to them
Many a death has been attributed to the fact
that thirteen sat down to = table, and also to
the hOoting of an owl. Alas for him who breaks
loOking-glass, seven long years of bad luck
will perSuc him. II you meet u woman just
after leaving Your hume TO go shopping. go
back If you care for your welfare during that
day. II you have guest, be sure and leave
her out the same door shc came in, or bad luck
will come. Salt that substance so useful to
potatoes and biscuits, has u far greater nseIul-
ncss,-by throwing SOME into tirc, 1t will avert
evil. black dog who happens TO he attracted
BY you aud follows YOU, will brlug some future
evil. How discOIr;l.sing IL Is 10 find oneself
pOking the fire with the poker placed on the
last bar of the CRATE. and thus destined to be
an old maid Thus little suares beset ns ON
who sees them aud believes in them.
Dreams may have some truth to them. 1t
was during sleep that Hcnricus ab Heeres, u
Dutch writer. very celebrated IN his time but
vert obscure in ours. composed all his works.
Once awake he had to transcTtbe from menu
ory. 1t is related that COelius Rhodi1inusi one
of the uOst indefatissuble commentators OF the
sixteenth Ceuturu, when labOring to correct tho
text of Pliny. which he has singularly ObScurcd,
was stopped by the word 'ectrupelis." IN
vain did he work ut the meaning for whole
week.-hc ended by falling aslecp-and In
dream the solution came into his head. Thus
the mind may lie SO burdened and absorbed
with u certain subject. that the mind continues
in the same active straiu during sleep. Recall
PhaTaOI's dream of the seven fat cattle and
the seven lean ones, foretelliug seven years of
plenty then seven years of famine This dream
was obscure to Pharaoh, but Joseph, whOsG
intelligence ON such Iliatters was sharper, was
able To interpret 1t.
Prophecies are, in general. obscure. Wien
CrHsus, king of Lydia, asked counsel ut Delphi,
whether he should make war against CyTns.
the reply was "It thou maEest war against
the Persians. thou shalt ruiu great emplra."
Crnssus interpreting that Cyrus's empire was
meant. waged war and the result wns. his own
great empire was s'ruined. Many authors have
written On the subject of prophecy, laying
down principles concerning the Sculptures
What held as first principles are now
secuted at rs vain imaginatiOus of men. Pre-
dictiOns which were thought had been verified,
have been handed down to the future
- Prophecy. 1t Is sHid, must be read entirely as
We read history. for what Is II but history an
ticipated." What is said in Isaiah of the voice
crying in the wilderness. - Prepare ye the wny
for the Lord. every valley shall be elevated,
every hill shall be made low, ono author sayS,
= Literally taken. may there not be some 0llu-
sion to one of the wonders of the modern times,
to that mode OF travelling which Is now sup
planting every other ?" How descriptive of
the railway Is the language used here, aud in
similar passages! What is 1t but making
straight in tile Desert u highway?
Aud thus other passages OF the Bible may
refer to some of our wonders, for the age OF
wonders IL not passed. Man can converse with
to- the Othe-. His will. beIug exercised. his
| thoughts are uttered u thousand miles away.
Nun constructs ships, launches them ON th0
sea. aud his commerce spreads everywhere
Formerly il took days to cross the ocean men
at that time fOretod. that, In a short time It
would only take u week or SO to cross IL; their
prophecy was fulfilled. It Is predicted now
that instead of riding ON Btrcct-cRTs and trains,
in the course OF years we Will ride In convey
anccs Of the air. Results follow natural causes.
Before :he war. ncu predicted that there would
be- war among the States, because they knew
that the States could not exist In their present
condition. II the streams supplying u river
arc swollen the natural result wOdld be that
food was coming. People knowing nOthingof
nature would think that the food was n mirac-
ulous thing. Men say that Cincinnati will some
day be the greatest city of the world because
OF its'cxtcnsiOn, it's growth of population. and
of its situation" Why can all these predictions
gacity. insight to government, Intellect, are
able TO fOrctcll events.
Scicncn is largely dcpRndcd upon for proph>
ccics. The barometer aud thermometer, in-
siriimcnts of science indicating the weight and
temperature of the atmosphere, fOretell tho
weather. The telescope Indicating the posi-
tons 0f heavenly bodies tells many important
events. A prophecy based an intellect Is gen.
erUlly the best. Emperor NapOlean said To u
friend. Fifteen years from now the whole
European sy.tem will be changed. Revolution
will follow revolution until every nation be-
comes acquainted with its individual rights
Tho remains Of the feudal system will vanish
before the Suu of knowledge. France has
debt. The BourbODs think To maintain them
selves on my throne by borrowing largely of
the present generation .stI' order to lay heavy
taxes on tlle next. and NIL future ones. But
know the French too well To know that such .
system can he tolerated. The French will cast
tIls BouTbOns and their debt from their AhOul-
drrs. Then If my son bc In existence he will
be seated ON tire throne. II lie be not. Franco
will 20 back To u Republic. others will follow
her example. Thus will the States and pTinci-
paIitics be in n ftrmenI. ike the earth hea Cing
in all directions before the occurrence Of an
earthquake. AtrcmcndOus explosion will take
place. The lava shall prove to be the only soil,
in which the tree of liberty will take firm root.
NAY it flourish for ages!' SapOIeaH. by his
insight into government and his intellect. per-
ceived the future. Thus It IL by means Of cx-
pcrience. by knowledge of political affairs. and
by science. that prophecy can, with correct
ness, be made. =
ALICE ALBERTA CoSKLTN. II. IL s..
Cincinnati, Ohio.